Why L Never Sleeps
by ilovespikespiegel
Summary: It's a stormy night at headquarters when Light uncovers the secret that L hasn't slept willingly since he was five years old. L tells Light the story about what happened that night that sent him to the orphanage and the reason why he cannot sleep. LxLight


**A/N: Disclaimer: I do not own L or Light.**

**The poem Unicorn Dreams is credit to Everett Eugene Wiginton at the-office . com/ bedtime-story /unicorn. htm.**

**The story Why Dogs chase cats is credit to S.E. Schlosser at americanfolklore . net/ folklore/ 2010/ 08/why_dogs_chase_cats. html**

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><p>It was just like any other night working the Kira case at headquarters, except for the fact that it was after L released Light from his restraints linking him to L at every second of every day. It was going on midnight and L was still typing and clicking away at his computer. Light on the other hand, was falling asleep in the chair beside L; staring at monitors for four hours straight will do that to a person. Rain pounded on the roof and slammed into the windows of the headquarters building; it had been raining nonstop for about five hours now.<p>

"Light-kun, you really should go home and try to sleep. You won't be of any help if you're falling asleep tomorrow." L said, snapping Light out of his drift between being awake and asleep.

Light shifted himself in the rather uncomfortable plastic chair and stretched his arms above his head. "It's fine, Ryuzaki, really. You're the one that needs sleep more than any of us. After all, you _are_ the greatest detective in the world. I've never seen you sleep at all, so surely you must be tired."

L stopped typing and turned his chair towards Light. He chewed his thumbnail and sighed before saying, "As much as I appreciate your concern for me Light-kun, I...don't sleep. At least, I haven't willingly since that night." He paused and met gazes with Light before turning his chair back towards his monitor. "But that's a long story that I'm sure wouldn't interest you any way."

Light raised a light brown eyebrow at his friend and turned L's chair so that it was facing him again. "Ryuzaki, what happened that night? It may be a long story but as you see, I'm falling asleep over here and we technically have all night." Light placed his hand on L's shoulder and gave him an encouraging squeeze.

L got up from his chair and walked over to a tray filled with sweets Watari brought in about five minutes ago. He grabbed two plates of cake, one for him and one for Light. The older of the two sat back on his spinning chair and brought his knees up to his chest. He picked up the fork and ate his cake while Light didn't even touch his.

"It happened when I was five years old. It was storming outside and I was quite frightened as a child. My mother read me a story that night to calm me down, Unicorn Dreams, I'll always remember that. My father and mother tucked me into bed and kissed me goodnight before turning on my night light and leaving the room." L's cake went untouched during the duration of his story.

Light turned towards the window and saw the lightning and rain pouring down, just like in L's story. "They sound really great Ryuzaki."

The raven-haired man sulked and brought his thumb to his lips. "They were wonderful Light-kun; those five years were the best of my entire life."

"What do you-" Sympathy brewed in Light's heart, regardless of the fact that he used to be Kira.

L pushed his cake away, which was something L never did. Light gasped at his friend's action. "Please Light-kun, let me continue." The golden-brown haired man smiled and gave a single nod to his friend to continue. "I drifted off to sleep almost immediately after my mother and father left the room, all warm under my fluffy blanket. They slept down at the other side of the house; we had a very large house Light-kun. Anyway, the storm slammed into our house all night long and it woke me up on and off throughout the night but when I finally got to sleep, it happened. The next thing I remembered about that night was the firemen carrying me out of my bed and out of the house. They had a wet towel over my head but I saw the flames engulfing my house. All I could hear were sirens but there was so many of them, that they sounded like bells. My parents were still in the house and...they couldn't make it out in time before the house...collapsed. Apparently, lightning struck the rain gutter and it started a fire downstairs which spread upstairs. If I was awake, I could have woken my parents up in time. I could have...saved them." L finished his story, got off of his chair, and walked over to the window.

Lightning flashes were so bright that they lit up the whole headquarters. "_That_ Light-kun, is why I can't and don't sleep, especially during storms like this." He shoved his hands in his pockets and rested his head against the pane glass window.

"Ryuzaki, you know that this building can withstand lightning strikes and storms of any kind. Plus," Light rose and stood next to his aloof friend, draping his arm around his shoulders. "You have me. I'd rather not drive him in the rain anyway. So, if I agree to stay here tonight with you, will you at try to sleep?"

L was comforted by his friend's gesture but shook his head and walked back to the monitors. Even if he was sad or angry, he never showed his emotions; he remained remote no matter what.

"At least lie on the couch and _try_ to sleep Ryuzaki."

The older boy gave in to the younger's persistence and sighed, slowly sauntering over to the couch in the main headquarters room. He lied on the couch, which seemed like an incredibly difficult task considering his bad posture, and yanked the blanket off the back of the couch and covered himself.

"Light-kun?" L acted so child-like that it made his friend sympathize with him even more.

"Yes Ryuzaki?"

L pulled the blanket up just beneath his black rimmed eyes and mumbled something incomprehensibly. It was as if he felt too embarrassed or ashamed to just come right out and ask Light whatever he wanted to ask.

"I can't understand a word you're saying." Light knelt in front of the couch and waited for his friend's question.

"Would you...read me a story?" L looked at the floor and hesitated.

"Hmm? You want me to read you a story?" Much to L's relief, Light was not angry or upset with his request, he was simply surprised.

The restless boy explained, "It's the way my mother always got me to go to sleep. Do you know Unicorn Dreams?"

Light shook his head. "No I don't, I'm sorry. But I could make up a story, if that'll help you sleep."

The panda-eyed boy smiled and snuggled into the fleece blanket. "That would be nice Light-kun, if you don't mind."

"Not at all." He smiled and retrieved one of the rolling chairs from near the monitors. "This is a story I heard when I was a kid. It's about why dogs chase cats," Light leaned back in his chair and used the coffee table as a footrest. "Once long ago, Dog was married to Cat. They were happy together, but every night when Dog came home from work, Cat said she was too sick to make him dinner. Dog was patient with this talk for a while, but he soon got mighty tired of fixing dinner for them both after a hard day's work. After all, Cat just stayed home all day long."

As Light continued with his story, L's eyelids drooped farther and farther. "One day, Dog told Cat he was going to work, but instead he hid in the cupboard and watched Cat to see if she really was sick. As soon as Cat thought Dog had left, she started playing games with Kitten. They laughed and ran about. Cat wasn't the least bit sick. Dog jumped out of the cupboard. When Cat saw him, she stuck a marble in her cheek and told Dog she had a toothache. Dog got so mad at her he started chasing her around and around the house. Dogs have been chasing Cats ever since. What do you think of that Ryuzaki? Ryuzaki?"

L was sound asleep and the blanket was practically on the floor. Light smiled and fixed the blanket. "Geez, for someone who never sleeps, you're sure out like a light." Light leaned over L and kissed his forehead, something Kira would never do, but Light was not Kira anymore. "Goodnight Ryuzaki."

Meanwhile, L's dreams were as vivid as a movie reel. It was his first day at Wammy's House, the orphanage he was sent to after the death of his parents. All of the other children thought he was strange and didn't talk to him. Being only five years old, L was quite upset about being alone and ignored all day long. When it came time to go to bed, L pulled a sheet of paper out from beneath his pillow and read it to himself.

_Does a Unicorn dream  
><em>_Of silly things  
><em>_Or spend his time in play?  
><em>_Is his head awhirl  
><em>_From the weight of the world  
><em>_Or does he just have nothing to say?_

_What would you say  
><em>_If you knew that his day  
><em>_Was the same as yours or mine?  
><em>_What would you think  
><em>_If you saw one blink  
><em>_And he asked you for the time?_

_Would you turn him away  
><em>_And tell him to play  
><em>_With someone else for awhile?  
><em>_Would you ask for a ride  
><em>_And sit there astride  
><em>_With your face alight in a smile?_

_Unicorns, you see,  
><em>_Are fancy and free  
><em>_And may not stop by today.  
><em>_Ah..but should he stop by  
><em>_Don't be frightened or cry  
><em>_We'd rather not scare him away!_

He smiled and ran his finger over the words written in pen by his mother and father. He placed it on the bedside table underneath a photo frame containing a picture of him and his parents in the grass at the park. Their smiling faces brought back so many memories for the young boy. Even though he was only five years old, he remembered those five years like they were carved into stone.

L kissed the photo frame and set it back on the end table before snuggling up in his warm blanket and trying to sleep. "Goodnight Mommy, goodnight Daddy. I love you."

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><p><strong>AN: This was my first LxLight fanfic ever so I hope it was okay. It was meant to be more of a fluffy, cute story rather than a yaoi story but I think this was very sad as well. So tell me what you think and if I should write more L and Light fluff or more about L's past. **


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